Awesome Foundation - Projects

Maldon (Inactive) – The Nerdy Birdy

2012-06-19T00:00:00Z

I am 20 years old and I have lived in Bendigo my entire life. I am a great believer in following dreams that have been given to you; and stepping into the life you were born to live. After being involved with a local youth organisation Lead On for many years, my passion for young people grew, and from my experience with this organisation I knew that I had the passion and motivation to - one day - do something to help young people and show them how amazing they are (and how much potential they all have). I had always had a dream to write a children’s book, however as I started working full time I gave up on my dreams and lost my confidence. In the last few years I have grown so much as a person, and feel that I am now in a position to finally chase that dream. Throughout my schooling, I have seen countless students and friends ‘dumb themselves down’ and pretend to be less bright then they actually are; in order to simply fit in. It is something that, during primary and secondary school, I also struggled with, myself. The children's picture book, 'The Nerdy Birdy' follows the main character, Ned -a very smart little bird who gets bullied for shining so brightly. In the end, young Ned proves to those that tease him that we are each strong in our own ways, and that we should always stay true to ourselves. The reason I am writing this book is because I believe in encouraging young people to be who they were created to be, and not to change in order to blend in with the crowd. My aim with this picture book is to inspire young children to be themselves; and to use the skills that they have been given. By achieving my dream, I will also show other young adults like myself that if they work really hard and stick to their dream, they can one day see it come to life. Your support would mean everything to me!

Connecticut – Shop for Hope

2012-06-18T00:00:00Z

Hi there. We are a (food obsessed!) mom and son who often talk about ways to feed the hungry (usually while we're eating). There are lots of ways that people do this here in Fairfield but we find that usually it's the same people. We came up with what we think is a very simple way to get many people to help, easily and regularly. With help from the local food pantry on what's running low, we would identify one item in one grocery store each week (say, peanut butter or tuna fish or shampoo or toothpaste - any brand) and put a Shop for Hope (or whatever the catchy name is) card on the shelves near that item. It will say something like "Buying toothpaste today? How about picking up a tube for a neighbor in need?" followed by a couple of lines about the program. The shopper will pick up an extra tube or two or whatever, will pay for it at the cash register, and will add it to the collection in the front of the store for the week. Our shelter and pantry in town are run by Operation Hope, which has volunteers who are ready, willing and able to pick up the items each week. This is the case in many communities. In this project, everybody wins. The shopper feels good about helping out someone (and maybe raises their awareness for the day about hunger), the store wins because they sell more product in a simple way that doesn't litter their store with people and signage, the pantry or shelter wins because they get publicity and more goods without having to turn to the same people, and - most importantly - the needy get some help from their neighbors. This project is easily replicable in other communities. Our hunch is that when one store sees how easy it is (and how it spreads a feel-good feeling among their staff and their customers), they will spread the word throughout their chain. Thanks for considering this. Carol (mom) and Chris (son) Dannhauser

Connecticut – Cluefest 10: FREE New Haven-wide Scavenger Hunt

2012-06-18T00:00:00Z

The awesomeness of Cluefest10 will come to fruition at New Haven’s Annual Free citywide scavenger hunt. Cluefest is turning 10 and with a team of 6 co-organizers and a few dozen volunteers (an eclectic mix of New Haven citizens/residents), we are motivated and inspired to make it a memorable event our 300+ participants who will decipher clues to find unique gems scattered around the Elm City. Upon completion of the activity at each of the the 5 main stops, they will have the final clue in hand, which will lead them to the Secret Party Location (our best yet!) to celebrate the creativity, passion and spirit of all our new friends. Participation has grown each year and on the hunt we see infants (strapped to their parents) to retirees gleefully scurrying around New Haven after figuring out the amusing, and sometimes perplexing riddles. Despite the dramatic growth, the fundamental mission and spirit of Cluefest has remained true to its founding members’ (The Group with No Name, a.k.a. TGWNN) intentions of offering a free and fun-filled day for people to learn about New Haven and its treasures, both old and new. With the Awesome Grant’s support of Cluefest, we will be able to execute our most ambitious Cluefest to date and hopefully inspired others to create more awesomeness for New Haven and other CT neighborhoods, i.e. Bridgeport held their inaugural Cluefest in 2011 and we got wind that a past Cluefester has transplanted this idea to….wait for it….Cambodia!! Some of our other sponsors included the United Way and New Haven Chamber of Commerce, but we have yet to reach our fundraising goal. We hope you are just excited as we are and plan to join us on Saturday, July 21st, 2012 for an what will be an epic day. Links of interest: http://myconnecticutstory.com/gallery/newest/0/1177/P0/ http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2012/apr/04/find-new-haven/ http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/we_clue_we_happy_/

Chicago, IL – Layin' Down Tracks

2012-06-16T00:00:00Z

I have a class full of weird, smart, awesome, hilarious, clever, punk-ass fourth and fifth-graders who are so talented, but who are continually frustrated by not having a real polished end-product of what they do in their (chronically underfunded) after-school enrichment classes. The kids are obsessed with Eminem and rap in general, so my goal is to get them to write a concept album. I also work at the Old Town School of Folk Music, so I have musician and sound recording friends who I could work with so that the kids could have a professional quality recording of their album. A mild-mannered arts educator might be an unusual choice to spearhead a rap concept album, but I spit rhymes like dragons spit fire. You can check out my Rick Bayless rap, which Chef Rick Bayless himself called "pretty hilarious stuff" here: http://soundcloud.com/dyanysus1116/rick-bayless-rap

Seattle, WA – The Pop-Up Museum

2012-06-12T00:00:00Z

My name is Michelle DelCarlo, and I am passionate about creating conversation between people of all ages and walks of life. I have a Master's degree in Museum Studies and a certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Washington. What I really want to do with all that schooling is to keep on creating meaningful experiences and build community through conversation. The Pop-Up Museum is my awesome project. The concept is this: based on a theme, people are invited to bring their own objects and share their own stories in order to have conversations with others. It's a participatory, traveling community event that challenges the notion of museums as silent, one-voice places and invites people to grapple with and celebrate their own perspectives. Pop-Up themes have ranged from light-hearted and fun to deep and heavy. These include "Handmade," where people brought in an array of handmade items that were meaningful to them. People had conversations about how handmade objects can create links to the past, and how the traditions of hand-crafted objects may be in danger of being lost. Also, I had an "Adoption" pop-up in collaboration with a colleague who is adopted. She wanted to do so because she felt that adoption is not a topic that museums generally address. People came to the pop-up and cried, laughed, and were moved. I have had pop-ups in Australia and here in the US. Also, I have advised numerous other organizations on how to hold their own pop-ups. I have done this all on my own time and with my own resources, which is why I am applying for an Awesome grant. For me, the pinnacle of museum practice is listening and responding to community needs. I want to keep on giving voice to people, building community, and making conversation happen between people of all ages and walks of life. How awesome would that be!

Airdrie, AB (Inactive) – Reaching for the Stars

2012-06-12T00:00:00Z

“Reach for the Stars” Airdrie is project that we would like to spear head this summer for the residents of Airdrie. We want to build a climbing tower in downtown Airdrie, outdoors where kids of all ages can come and try to climb the tower. There would be different paths on the tower that accomodate every climbing level so that kids as young as 3 or adults who had advanced climbing levels can all go it a try. It would benefit the whole community as it would give residents something new to try with the family over the summer months. We think its an awesome idea because it gets families out doing something together and also promotes fitness and fun. We will make it happen by finding the right location, getting some of the material donated by local bussinesses, building the tower and then finding volunteers to help run the tower when its open so that its always done safely. The $1000 is needed to purchase building materials such as wood and climbing holds as well as ropes and safety equipment. We would also use the funds to pay for any permits that may have to purchased for this project. Photo Credit: Chris Simnett, Airdrie Echo

New York City, NY – Regret Project

2012-06-11T00:00:00Z

There are few things we hold to tighter or with more persistence than our regrets. But Grayson Earle believes that if our most painful secrets are unlocked and voiced, they can teach and inspire others, and maybe transform us in return. Awesome Foundation-NYC awarded its $1000 June grant to Grayson’s Regrets Project, which solicits the regrets of anonymous visitors to its website and then transforms them into public art on the streets of New York. Having wrestled with regrets in his own life, Grayson hopes the project will bring catharsis to some of those who find the ability through it to share their dashed or deferred dreams. And once transformed to art, those regrets of the past may inspire a few of the passerby to reflect on the values guiding their present life, and reorient their futures. The world seems hungry for the project — Grayson says on average 20 regrets are submitted per day and the number is rising — and the grant will allow Grayson to expand into new media including video and other interactive forms.

Ann Arbor, MI – Shakespeare in Prison

2012-06-03T00:00:00Z

The Magenta Giraffe Theatre Company acts to eliminate apathy, violence, prejudice and barriers to education through theatre productions, projects and programs; and further acts to reestablish and expand Detroit’s theatre district. Magenta Giraffe Theatre Company's Shakespeare in Prison program is conducted at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Ypsilanti, Michigan, beginning in February 2012 and running continuously thereafter. This program, modeled on other successful programs of its kind, empowers inmates through theatre exercises and Shakespearean text to think creatively, re-examine decisions they’ve made, become more in touch with their emotions, and develop crucial life skills to be used both in and out of prison. Inmates who volunteer for the Shakespeare in Prison program work with Shakespearean monologues and scenes, experiencing the empowerment and satisfaction derived from working with this material. There is an idea that only “great actors” can do Shakespeare “right,” and that is absolutely false. Anyone can perform Shakespeare, and everyone has the right to create art as part of being a self-aware and individual human being. Participants will also be given the option of staging a full play by Shakespeare. Similar programs have proven to be extremely effective in empowering inmates to think creatively, re-examine decisions they’ve made, get more in touch with their emotions, and develop life skills such as confidence in creative thinking and speaking in front of an audience. These programs are also very effective in building self-esteem in the prisoners, and all of these effects have a direct impact on prisoners’ ability to become constructive members of society when they are released, or, if they are not released, excellent citizens and role models in the facility. Magenta Giraffe’s program is modeled after Shakespeare Behind Bars, the oldest program of its kind in North America. Participants in Shakespeare Behind Bars have had only a 7% recidivism rate, as contrasted with the national rate of 67%, and Magenta Giraffe hopes to continue that trend with its own program. Shakespeare in Prison has the potential for real change in the community, helping women achieve a sense of self that can help them with their families, their community, and their personal future. The Shakespeare in Prison blog may be found at http://shakespeareinprisonmgt.wordpress.com/

Austin, TX – Slow Cooking for a Fast Food World

2012-05-31T00:00:00Z

“Most parents would like to provide a tasty, low-cost, healthy meal for their family but many struggle with minimal available time for preparation and planning. This leads to last-minute, expensive, high-fat meals. Wouldn't it be awesome to go back to the time of slow food even though we live in a fast food world?” That's the idea Beth Rowan successfully pitched to the Austin chapter of the Awesome Foundation. Her mission: “To help interested, low-income family leaders enhance their slow cooking habits through a network of support (email/cell phone reminders), key ingredients/coupons and slow cookers (provided free or on a sliding scale),” with the larger goal of combating diabetes and obesity in the community. A mother of two, Beth says her inspiration for the project came from seeing “hard-working moms who get home at 6 or 7 at night with ravenous children.” For many working families, she says, “fast food often seems like the best (or maybe the only) option. But by using your imagination, a meal plan, and hardly any prep time, a slow cooker can have a hearty meal all prepared when you walk in the door.” Beth plans to recruit participants by connecting to community agencies such as the Austin Housing Authority as well as other outreach organizations. Slow cookers (known to many people simply as “Crock Pots”) are a great tool for families on a budget, Beth says, because they make it easy to use inexpensive ingredients such as dried beans as well as less-expensive cuts of meat. Recognizing that a slow cooker can be a big investment for a family living on the edge of poverty, Beth has already lined up an agreement with appliance-maker Hamilton Beach to provide slow cookers at a sizable discount. She's currently working on fine-tuning recipes for tasty, healthy meals that combine inexpensive ingredients with a minimum of prep time. The initial menu will likely include pulled pork, hearty black beans, simmered chicken, Moroccan chick peas, and easy pot roast, but Beth says suggestions for all types of recipes, especially culturally diverse ethnic food, are more than welcome, via the project's Facebook page. As the program develops, Beth expects the project's Facebook page to grow into a community where participants can share recipes, meal plans, shopping tips, and more. Beth says she was “surprised and thrilled” to find out she had been named the Austin chapter's third-ever $1000 grantee. “The Awesome Foundation made it possible for me to move from 'just thinking about it' to making it happen!”

Oahu, HI – Aloha Beach Volleyball

2012-05-31T00:00:00Z

Awesome Foundation Oahu has chosen our second grant winner! We are proud to announce that Aloha Beach Volleyball is our $1,000 winner!!! Rod Suzumoto, Diana McKibbin and Chase Suzumoto have joined forces to create Aloha Beach Volleyball. In January of 2012 Aloha Beach Volleyball started as a program to provide a sustainable physical fitness program using beach volleyball as one of their activities for children to fight childhood obesity and other health related concerns for the Leeward Communities at Maili Beach Park. Their team of volunteer coaches and parents have created a program that strives to make it fun to learn while exercising. We agreed that their idea was AWESOME, because they do not charge to participate in their events! Yes, their events are FREE. They have players from 3 to adult at their events learning basic volleyball skills and physical fitness activities by completing obstacle courses. Some of our Trustees hope to attend an event where they plan to schedule Parent/Child, Grandparent/Grandchild, Brother/Sister, etc. volleyball tournaments (no score/time limit) to create family participation and getting everyone exercising at beautiful Maili Beach Park. We were encouraged that they were working closely with Kevin Wong (USA Volleyball), Scott Wong (UH Wahine Beach Volleyball), and Aloha Region Juniors to be able to provide additional training so their players can advance in their skill level. Their vision is to provide children positive choices and have them realize the consequences of negative choices by partnering with DARE and the Hawaii Meth Project. Our $1,000 will go to fund volleyball nets, volleyballs, and additional equipment. Their last event, which is advertised only by word of mouth, had over 50 players. Congratulations to Aloha Beach Volleyball!!!

Houston (Inactive) – Yellowstone Academic Stars

2012-05-31T00:00:00Z

Yellowstone Academy is a private PK3-8th grade school for children living in extreme poverty. We would like to use $1000.00 to purchase trophies for academic achievement to be given at a school wide end-of-the-year awards ceremony. We want academic achievement to receive the same (or better!) recognition than sports and fine arts. The money will be used to purchase trophies and medallions of all sizes and shapes to reward academic achievement in different subject areas, in honor and achievement rolls, and in accelerated reading, It will also be used to reward "most improved" in each class and to award those who show the discipline of hard work and perseverance. Most of our students will be the first high school graduates in their families, let alone college. We want academics to be praised and celebrated.

Grand Rapids, MI (Inactive) – Jake's Music Festival

2012-05-30T00:00:00Z

Great music for a great cause! Jake's Music Festival is a benefit concert held each April at the Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids. All proceeds from the event are donated to the local chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). This is quite possibly the most eclectic mix of live music in West Michigan. Featured performers include Delilah DeWylde and the Lost Boys, The Fainting Generals, Valentiger, The Waxies, Ritsu and Karisa Wilson. Along with all the music there is also a silent auction, free cake samples and other surprises. Jake’s Music Festival was started in 2005 by Tom and Mary Scheidel of Rockford and named for their son Jake who was diagnosed with Type 1, also known as juvenile diabetes, 15 years ago when he was only six. The festival enjoys fantastic support from the community. All the performers are local acts that donate their time to the cause. Several local business donate items for the silent auction. A few businesses even make cash donations to JDRF as part of the event. Local television and radio stations, as well as magazines and newspapers, regularly feature stories about Jake's Music Festival. It is a gratifying experience to be part of an organization fighting to find a cure for diabetes. It is our hope that the Awesome Foundation will join our cause.

Boston, MA (Inactive) – Nomadic Picó Picante

2012-05-30T00:00:00Z

We propose to create a traveling outdoor public event series called Nomadic Picó Picante, a mobile version of our monthly tropical bass party at Good Life. We will build a traveling sound system that visits neighborhoods for unannounced, guerilla parties throughout Boston. Our sound system will be derivative of a picó—a hand-crafted mobile soundsystem for DJs with origins in Barranquilla, Colombia. Picós are painted with visual elements that evoke local history and culture, and were originally invented to create communal, public parties because people with little money weren’t welcome in dance clubs. Working from the concept of a picó, we want to create public spaces for people across all communities in Boston, that are not able to come to Good Life because of the price point, lack of accessibility or simply feeling uncomfortable. We’ll use the platform of a box truck as a mobile stage for DJs and video artists, complete with speakers, lights and projections. We expect to have held 1–2 events by mid-summer. We want to create public spaces that embody the post-geographic nature of tropical bass music, a genre that crossbreeds dance-friendly electronic elements with traditional and folkloric genres such as cumbia, champeta, salsa and kuduro. The nomadic parties will be public, pop-up events that use tropical bass to establish a celebratory inter-cultural dialogue in an oft-segregated Boston. We’ve built a family of collaborators through Picó Picante by inviting local and out-of-town DJs and video artists. Our team includes: Sara Skolnick and Ernesto Morales (DJs Pajaritos), Ricardo de Lima (OXYcontinental), Vela Phelan (HEXbeam) and Ethan Kiermaier (Ultratumba). The project will benefit participants of these events and the communities they occur in by creating an open cultural space. This action creates a dialogue by using music as a catalyst to explore the commonalities of Boston’s contemporary cultural diversity. We kick our conclusion to Wayne Marshall, a local ethnomusicologist, to get to the heart of the matter: "We become familiar with our neighbors when we have some regard for them, when we listen and play collectively. We can actively resist discourses of the exotic and touristic, and propose other modes of interaction with the strangers / neighbors among us: from collaboration, to taking a focused and sustained rather than “eclectic” or trendy approach, preferring 'getting under each other’s skin rather than simply 'used to each other.'"

Boston, MA (Inactive) – HASER: Laser Space Heater

2012-05-30T00:00:00Z

Heating is expensive. A small room takes 1500 watts, but your skin (surprisingly) needs only about 20W at 65F ambient temperature. So, I'm creating the HASER SYSTEM, which heats you directly with soothing, warm infrared (IR) lasers. See the video at HASER.TINYMOGUL.COM. It uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to see you, track you (like Microsoft's Kinect) and heat you. Not the room, not the air, JUST you. The wall-mounted Painter unit uses laser-like eye-safe radiation to cover you with heat. Even if you move, even 20 feet away: a space heater can't do this. It uses either an IR laser or a specially collimated (highly focused) heat lamp. It also learns your behavior, e.g. preheats your chair before a TV show. You can set the thermostat lower by 15F and cut bills by 60%. Its companion, ROVER, is a robot heater that follows you, radiating heat from a thermal storage mass. ALMOST ALL THE TECH & FREE SOFTWARE NEEDED ALREADY EXISTS, so it isn't pie-in-the-sky. HASER will also provide data on temperature & usage, and an API (Application Programming Interface) so that it can be modified by hobbyists and hackers. Ready for mash-ups, e.g. use an optional visible laser to play with your cat when you're away! HASER is itself an AWESOME mashup! I've been building and hacking things forever. I am a design fanatic, hungering for practicality and beauty. I'm an engineer turned software architect turned entrpreneur turned, again, engineer. I've studied neuroscience & AI, worked in digital electronics, computer software architecture, interior design, small-building architecture, business process design.

Halifax, NS (Inactive) – Tulipmania

2012-05-30T00:00:00Z

My project, Tulipmania, is about beauty and community, two things that are both awesome! I live on Tulip Street in Downtown Dartmouth. I want to plant tulips all along the street, on the unloved strip of land between the sidewalk and the road. The typical median strip in HRM is full of weeds, scrubby grass, bare dirt and is just ugly wasted space. The problem is that no one wants to spend money to improve them because, although adjoining property owners are responsible for upkeep, the space is technically owned by HRM. Last fall I planted a large tulip patch in front of my house in the median, which blossomed into a magnificent splash of spring colour (still blooming if you’re passing by). The response from the community has been overwhelming. Everyone loves the tulips. As one of my neighbours said, “they just make me smile.” A lot of people also travel through Tulip Street and many have slowed down to take a look or stopped for a picture. The median tulip patch is unique, fun and there’s something delightfully obvious, yet unexpected about tulips on Tulip Street. Since my test patch went over so well, I would like to expand the effort. With an Awesome grant, more tulip patches could be added. I have gone door to door and almost everyone on the street loves the idea (41 of 43, 96%). It’s a feel good project the community can get behind. The best part is this awesome idea is actually two awesome events in one. If we get the funds to buy bulbs, the whole neighbourhood will come together in October to plant them. Neighbour will help neighbour and we’ll cap off the afternoon planting party with a potluck bbq. In the spring, Phase 2 of Tulipmania begins when the flowers bloom and everyone on the street and in the wider community is treated to an awesome spring display. The tulips should also come back for several seasons. One awesome grant, two awesome outcomes with several more seasons of awesomeness thrown in for good measure. I’m the right person to champion this because I have already done it in front of my house and I have already organized and sold the community on the idea. All we need is the financial resources to carry it out. I’ve done a few other awesome things, but my favourite is that I’ve spent years building digital replicas of Halifax landmarks and sharing them online, bringing Halifax to the world through the urban planning game, Sim City.

Melbourne (Inactive) – Roll-Up Bike Valet for Park(ing) Day 2012

2012-05-30T00:00:00Z

My name is Joyce and I’m a Melburnian, an inner city urbanite, a lawyer, a blogger, a mother...and a cyclist. I am passionate that Melbourne would be more awesome place to live, work and play if we could encourage more people to ride bikes as mode of transport. Park(ing) Day is an international movement where individuals, artists and companies take over parking spaces to create public spaces for people to enjoy (http://parkingday.org/). For this year’s Park(ing) Day Friday 21 September I propose taking over 3 metered parking spaces in the City of Yarra (Brunswick St, Gertrude St, Smith St) over the course of the day and to provide valet bike parking in the car spaces using Melbourne company Roll Up (http://roll-up.com.au/). Basically we feed the meter for the allocated time (2 hours), valet park up to 10 bikes instead of 1 car during that time and then move onto the next spot. City of Yarra have agreed in principle to the project, but don't have any funding for the project themselves. You should also know that I own CycleStyle, an online store selling bicycle clothing and accessories for the urban cyclist (www.cyclestyle.com.au). However, Park(ing) Day is not a commercial initiative as part of the licensing agreement is that we can’t put up or hand out any advertising. So together with Roll-Up I want to show people that bikes are fun, cheap, convenient, ease congestion, bring businesses more customers and generally have a bit of fun with the concept of ‘parking’. Please let me know if you have any questions and need more information! Joyce

Detroit, MI (Inactive) – Kidz Times

2012-05-30T00:00:00Z

Kids Times is a newspaper written by kids for kids that will be published as a supplement to the Detroit Native Sun. Writers, ages 5 to 17, are given a voice in the community to address concerns pertaining to youth and to offer solutions. Young perspectives on issues taking place throughout metro Detroit and in the schools are highlighted. Young aspiring journalists are given an opportunity to work beside experienced award-winning journalists and to have their works published both online and in an actual newspaper that will be distributed throughout Detroit, Highland Park, Oak Park, Southfield, Dearborn and Inkster. Students will learn all of the steps needed to publish a newspaper from identifying news worthy stories to interviewing, writing and laying out the newspaper. In addition, student reporters will have the opportunity to broadcast their stories on television in a special Kids Times segment that will air on Wednesdays from 7 pm to 7:30 pm on Comcast 20 and TV 33. This is a unique opportunity to showcase the editorial talents of creative and community minded youth, who are looking for a means to express themselves “Children are our future” is not just a popular saying but an expression of truth. It is vital for youth to have a positive outlet to express their thoughts, become active observers in identifying problems in the community, and to participate in offering solutions. By doing so, youth will help to bridge the gap in communication between young and old and will have a vested interest in improving the quality of life for those residing in the communities in which they live. A transformation in attitudes and actions will occur. Kids Times will help to dispel stereotypes about youth, as they are no longer viewed as a part of the problem but a part of the solution..

San Francisco, CA – Bathtub Street Gondola!

2012-05-29T00:00:00Z

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with an itch in the back of your brain to build something? I spend many nights researching various projects and ideas. Everything from a homemade stick welder to an adult sized big wheels. Once I get a project out of my head and onto paper I can get back to sleep. Tonight I awoke to the thought of giving people rides in a bathtub down the Embarcadero wearing a traditional gondoliers outfit. I would stand proudly in the back of my tub gondola singing poorly with my wide brimmed hat, striped shirt, and red waist sash. The project would involve acquiring a tub. Then attaching a set of fixed wheels to the front of it, a pair of casters to the back, and a steerable electric motor powered wheel. This would give the feeling of steering a boat. Once the vehicle was operational I would don my traditional gondolier outfit and give people rides. I would also be thoroughly documenting the build process for posting on Instructables. The sharing of knowledge no matter how obscure or odd it maybe is important. A shared experience allows for easy inspiration of other ideas and projects. I find spending time with people who make awesome things inspires me to make awesome things myself. The documentation of this project I hope will be as much as an inspiration to people as the Bathtub Gonadal. Anyone with the desire to be a bathtub gondoliers will have an easy to follow guide to start them on their quest. Who am I to bring such an idea into existence? I am a lighting designer and electrician for live performance. More importantly, I am an artist who likes working with friends and coworkers to make awesome sets, props, etc. for theatre and beyond. On a practical note I am a member at the S.F. Techshop and have access to all the tools I would need for bringing forth the Bathtub Gonadal into the world. Past projects include: •Building a stick welder from old microwave transformers •The pocket lawn (an edible wheat grass lawn for your pocket) •Small vacuum former made from trash(used to make the Pocket lawn) •Junk metal sculpture Here is a link to my past instructables. http://www.instructables.com/member/TinkeringProductions/ Thank you for your time.

Chicago, IL – Chic-A-Go-Go

2012-05-29T00:00:00Z

since the late nineties I have been producing a cable access show where kids, teens, the elderly and all ages in between dance to bands and records and hang out with our puppet host Ratso. Chic-A-Go-Go (we have a Facebook and YouTube channel if you want to check it out) has been on for almost 800 episodes, and we have had lots of musicians from every era and every genre come and lip synch for kids, and the best thing about the show is how it proves that's music and dancing have no demographic restrictions -- inner city kids will dance to 40s jazz, avant garde noise, 70s punk, polka, and anything in between, and older folks learn to dig contemporary hip hop, electronica, and bubblegum pop. I am really committed to community and non-mainstream media, working with different groups to advocate for cable access television, being the format chief for all the public affairs programming on the community radio station on the Southside, WHPK, and producing a zine called Roctober. but I am probably best known as the voice of Ratso, who has interviewed the Cramps, the Shirelles, The Residents, Fugazi, Rudy Ray Moore, GZA, the Misfits, Sleater Kinney, Anvil, Andre Williams, and over a thousand more. Because the show has no commercial restraints there's no pressure to appeal to a narrow audience which frees us to make something that is truly for everyone and expands people's horizons, and is super fun. Some links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chic-a-Go-Go http://m.youtube.com/user/chicagogo?client=mv-google http://www.roctober.com/chicagogo/ http://www.facebook.com/chicagogo

San Francisco, CA – Lunar Topographies

2012-05-29T00:00:00Z

Hey Awesome! I've been making light-based sculpture for a few years now and, through these objects, I accidentally discovered a process by which I can carve actual lunar topography into wood. I use a home-made CNC router. http://craigdorety.com/lunar_topo.html I also use a home-made laser cutter. Here are my light objects. http://craigdorety.com/objects.html I'm a HUGE proponent of open hardware and the DIY movement and I never farm out any work that I can do myself with a comparable investment in the proper equipment. I have a degree in mechanical engineering and use it to make beautiful things. After having carved several lunar surface segments and showing them off to several art consultants, collectors, and mentors, I've decided the carvings will be more compelling if I make them larger. This is where I need some help.

Seattle, WA – Portable dodgeball court

2012-05-28T00:00:00Z

Hi all, my name is Peter Rothbart; I'm an editor at FOUND Magazine, and the founder and director of the Seattle-based yard sharing organization We Patch. Most importantly for this application, I'm a part of the Seattle Street Dodgeball community and the Seattle Dodgeball Syndicate. We host a set of weekly pickup dodgeball games in Ballard and Capitol Hill, as well as various league games and tournaments. We do all of this for the love of the game and not for profit; we try to keep games free or at least affordable so we can include everyone who wants to play. We pay for balls with money from donations. This means that we don't have much of a budget for publicizing our events. Recently we've discussed ways to help spread word about Seattle dodgeball, and we decided that rather than attract only the folks who happen to come across our game, we want to bring dodgeball to the people. To do this, we're going to construct a portable dodgeball court that we can set up in any space that would be suitable for a game: on a grassy patch at the Seattle Center, on a moving trailer bed in the solstice parade, on the street in Fraternity row at UW, on top of a parking structure, on a floating platform in Lake Washington - the possibilities are endless and so tantalizing! The court will be made of 6-10 rigid and collapsible supports fitted with cargo netting, construction fencing, or other easy to roll siding. Within our community we already have the skills to make this a reality, we just need funding for the raw materials. Our long-term goal is to make Seattle the epicenter of the dodgeball revival. Each new player adds skill, talent, and character to our community, and we hope this portable court will bring a massive influx of new faces. We would love your help making this happen!

Pittsburgh, PA – Pittsburgh Light Disco

2012-05-24T00:00:00Z

This project idea is inspired by the Cell Phone Disco in Tito Way, The Seattle Piggy Bank project and the weather notification light on top of the Gulf Building in Downtown Pittsburgh. I propose an animated Pittsburgh themed Marquee-type art installation or billboard to be placed in the cultural district that has the compability to accept donations via mobile or loose change. When a donation is recieved the art installation or Marquee will light up and display a thank you, fantasic symphony( or move depending on the design) to note the donation. Each time someone donates the display will mark it in a celebration. This effects could be similar to the Cell Phone Disco art installation in Tito Way or the iconic weather notification on top of the Gulf Tower--both are visually appealing and uniquely iconic. I propose that each month the donations go to a particular type of organization on a rotating basis; for example, Earth Day is in April so April donations could be given to environmental organizations. I would want the donations to be divided amongst many Pittsburgh non-profits because they all contribute to the community in certain ways. I believe a small advisory board to help manage incoming funds and decide who recieves the funds(most likely via RFP application and project goals) would be an easy feat. For the art installation and management of the project, I would collaborate with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership because of their experience and interest in art installations as well as their interest in doing a project simuliar to the Seattle Piggy Bank Project. Both the Cultural Trust and Downtown Partnership are committed to creating a vibrant and awesome Pittsburgh as well as creating solidarity between organizations through collaboration. I think this would be another great way to pull together the wonderful Pittsburgh community.This project defines awesomeness and connectiveness; a Light disco for non-profits is an amazing way to connect the city. This project is sustainable and once the installation is installed, the goal of the project will continue.

Ottawa – Yarnbombing a Bus

2012-05-24T00:00:00Z

May’s Awesome grant goes to Lisa (Justy) Dennis for her proposed project Bus Yarnbombing! Justy is an artist who works alongside her mother to crochet a vast array of amigurami and other yarn projects. After they starting work together they opened an Etsy store and have been in many arts and craft shows in Ottawa over the past three years. Her proposed idea is to yarnbomb a bus in the parking lot of the SuzyQ donut shop in Hintonburg. She hopes this project will warm up the hearts of bus drivers all over the city and show that Ottawa is a “cozy” place to live. As testament to her proclivity to capturing the essence of things with yarn, behold the ginormous pile of cute things she has made! She will use the funds for wool supplies, velcro and crochet hooks and the renting of a bus for a day if she can’t get one donated. Just so everyone can get a good idea of what it might look like, here’s a bus yarnbombed in Cincinnati. If you would like to be involved in the project as a volunteer crocheter or have a spare bus drop us a line!

Calgary, AB (Inactive) – Tool Library

2012-05-24T00:00:00Z

A tool lending co-op where people can borrow, for free, tools for home project, maintenance and repairs. Did you know that the average lifetime use of a power drill is 8 minutes? Nobody needs their own power drill. They just need to borrow one. Calgarians also need to borrow from time to time, a: - stud finder - roto-tiller for the garden - saw - power-sander - painting supplies - ladder - etc! We will create a library of tools that the public can access for free, just like you can do with books at a regular library! The money will be used to: - purchase the tools (some second-hand) - create a secure space to store the tools - develop the webspace for rentals/bookings

Melbourne (Inactive) – The Ownership Project

2012-05-22T00:00:00Z

The Ownership Project is a not-for-profit visual arts social enterprise based in Fitzroy, Victoria. We provide free art training and representation for artists from refugee, newly-arrived and Indigenous Australian background as well as facilitate community cultural development projects with local and remote community groups. We currently run Artist in Residency program where we provide free studio space, materials and art training in woodblock printing, drypoint and painting under industry professionals. We launch and sell the work of our artists in our adjoining gallery. Sales of the work directly support the artist and the sustainability of the project. We work to create better access to the arts within the community and to promote culturally diverse art to the greater public.We currently work with artists from Ghanaian, Ethiopian,Iranian,Columbian, Vietnamese, Eritrean and Indigenous Australian backgrounds. COMMUNITY CUSHION PROJECT - We would like to be able to build on the existing design work and skills of our artists, creating a range of limited edition hand printed cushion covers. We would hold an intensive three day fabric printing workshop (using lino cuts)with four artists in our studio under an industry professional print maker. Once the fabric has been printed, we will outsource the manufacturing to The Social Studio, a fashion social enterprise in Collingwood that trains and employs young people from a refugee background. The cushions would be sold in our gallery and would directly support the individual artists who took part in the workshops and also fund the following cushion cover workshops with the next round of artists (with each round of cushion sales funding the next workshops and so on). Having the cushions in our gallery and promoted through our website and media is another way we can further promote the talent and skills of artists from under represented communities in the local art and design scene.

Portland, OR – Schoolyard Farms

2012-05-17T00:00:00Z

Schoolyard Farms sprung from of a love of putting our hands in the dirt, eating delicious food and getting to know our neighbors on a deeper level. Simultaneously, by doing what we love, we hope to demonstrate--and formally teach--how to cultivate healthy food, and thus healthy community. We are a non-profit educational farm located on an urban elementary schoolyard. We chose a non-profit model because we value people and community more than we value the bottom-line, and we believe it is in the public’s interest to know how and from where their food comes. We chose an urban location because we value interdependence and hope that our visibility will create a dialogue amongst our neighbors that challenges and progresses the way we produce and consume food. We also believe that just as ecological systems function best when at their most diverse, so too does the food-system, therefore we need farms in every shape and size, in every corner. We chose a schoolyard because we value education and believe it is the foundation for changing our relationship with food. We choose to farm ecologically because we value the land and believe the best way to sustainably grow food is to nurture the soil. We want to evolve the school-garden model and start cultivating school-farms that will feed their cafeteria. We envision a day when there are Schoolyard Farms on every campus. There are many hurdles to achieving this goal, yet in the interim we are content finding alternative avenues to provide fresh food to our community. Our current chosen paths are Community Supported Agriculture shares that can be purchased with SNAP; donating CSA shares to families in need; educating children about healthy ecologies and healthy lifestyles through a farm-based summer camp; demonstrating the repurposing of land and alternative agriculture practices in a highly visible setting; offering farm tours and workshops to anyone who asks. You can read more about our project here: http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=133589310535265300

Kingston – Eat It To Beat It

2012-05-17T00:00:00Z

The Garlic Mustard Weed is choking out native plants and disrupting the eco system. Research would suggest that the important eradication of the invasive plant can't be done. Eco Kids say it can! They are willing to put the work in to solve this problem and enlist the support of the entire Kingston community through an informative poster and booklet campaign in conjunction with field activities and other community events. Invasive species are a serious concern and threat to our local eco system. There are many species which are threatened by plants such as the Garlic Mustard Weed. Anecdotal accounts suggest that the Garlic Mustard Weed is thriving as ever before in the Kingston area. Awareness is key and the Eco Kid would like to have their important message and unique spin (eat the enemy) heard loud and clear. This eager group of young people would like to see change and improvement in their community and they work very hard at their goals. They have taken the challenge of removing the Garlic Mustard Weed and invite you to help them convey this idea to the Kingston and Area Community. The Centennial Eco Kids were outraged once they discovered that a cruel invader lurked in their very own school yard! They quickly mobilized into action and waged a war on the dreaded weed. They set out on a mission to eliminate the enemy and carefully pulled out several bags worth of the menace. As focused and as furiously they worked they soon realized that the weed is a formidable foe threatening to take over Kingston! The Eco Kids need some awesome support to combat the wicked weed and restore peace to the eco system in Kingston and Area. Get rid of the Garlic Mustard Weed - Eat it to Beat it!

London (Inactive) – The Liverpool Project;stopping bleeding in the str

2012-05-16T00:00:00Z

I am Charlotte, a junior doctor working in Newham and involved with The Liverpool Project, in particular I lead on expansion and have founded the London team. The Liverpool Project is a group of junior doctors and medical students who teach Young Offenders how to provide immediate medical care at the scene of a penetrating trauma (knife/gun wounds) to prevent death and injury. We teach two 90 min sessions on consecutive weeks. Teaching takes an easy to understand and interactive format so that skills can be recalled and utilised in pressurised situations where action is required urgently. The aim is ultimately to reduced injury and death from interpersonal violence while giving young people skills and greater confidence. The project also offers young doctors and medical students a fantastic opportunity to work with young people from less privileged backgrounds and to learn from their experiences - hopefully making students better doctors in the long run. We already have established teams delivering training in Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham and have recently expanded to London. We hope expand to cover young people in all of the Youth Offending Teams (YOTs)in all major cities. The Liverpool Project has achieved a lot, recently being awarded a place in The Observer and NESTAs "Britain's New Radicals" as well as receiving small grants from NHS innovations and The National Lottery. However we are a fragile organisation relying purely on our volunteers and gifts of equipment to continue our service. Currently we do not have money to pay for our volunteers to have specialist training and rely on skilled trainers donating their free time. We hope to expand to teach in all YOTs in London, Manchester, Nottingham, Birmingham and Liverpool, which are the cities with the highest rates of violence. This will be done by carefully recruiting teams of volunteers via medical schools, giving them excellent training and supporting them in delivering teaching. We want to improve through research and measuring the impact of our intervention. The Project is awesome because it is totally unique. It targets the highest risk young people and gives them new skills and confidence which when put into practice could save lives. We are the right people to do this because we have been up and running for years. We are dedicated and passionate, as is demonstrated by the expansion of the project at the hands of several long term committed members of the team.

New York City, NY – Legomandala

2012-05-14T00:00:00Z

“Legomandala” combines the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of creating and ritualistically dismantling ornate sand mandalas with the contemporary medium of LEGO. A meticulous work of art, it is taken apart just after completion by a group of adults and children invited to transform it into their own creation. Please see (http://vimeo.com/19932607) for a timelapse video of the first large Legomandala I completed with some LEGO I had on loan last year. It was an experiment and it worked! Now I need a collection of LEGO dedicated to this work to bring more Legomandalas to the public at large. Using LEGO, a contemporary toy and a plaything of wealthy nations, in an artistic, political and social context has proved a powerful way of communicating with people today. The LEGO makes accessible to people who might otherwise be unconcerned with spiritual, philosophical or political issues, uncommonly profound concepts in an environment focused on one thing: collaborative change. The deconstruction of the piece represents the acceptance of material impermanence; calling us to live more presently and to value all life in its precious fragile reality. It is also a statement as to the insanity of valuing material goods over the good of other living beings. This is an ancient Tibetan Buddhist message and has helped the Tibetan people resist the Chinese occupation of their country peacefully and for decades. Their cause is no longer in “fashion” but it is still very much alive and as relevant to the world’s crises as ever. The reconstruction of the LEGO represents the importance of imaginative co-creation and joy in transformative work. When participants are invited to dismantle this “sacred” universe and encouraged to make it their own, they are being called to play an active role in to co-creation of our world. The LEGO represents the building blocks of our universe and how when we are involved in transformation and re-creation collaboratively and joyfully – we are at our best in the world. It is both a spiritual, political and social piece. The beauty of the mandala, letting it go and participating as a group in creating the new - is an excellent medium for raising awareness. Not only is a Legomandala a profound agent for social impact, it is also fun. I am currently involved in a number of awesome projects. Another one of note is a street art initiative involving children's drawings, The Monster Project. See www.themonsterproject.net And Thanks!

Kitchener-Waterloo – Berlin Shorts

2012-05-12T00:00:00Z

I grew up in KW but moved to Edmonton to do my Masters degree in Drama. My intention was to spend 3-5 years there, but ten years, 1 marriage and 1 kid later my wife and I decided to return to the land of free babysitting . . . I mean family. I wanted to return to Kitchener because I'd heard so much about the exciting things happening downtown and wanted to be part of the revitalisation. I wanted to lay down some roots, dig in and really focus some energy on planting seeds and watching them grow. And the thing I'm best at growing is creative opportunities. I stayed in Edmonton because of the vibrant arts scene. I produced sketch comedy shows and did a lot of arts admin, but toward the end of my stay I began presenting a short film competition that really excited me in the way it connected emerging and established film makers. I liked it so much that I decided to start a festival here just like it. And so Berlin Shorts was born. Berlin Shorts is a new and on-going adjudicated short film event presented in association with the Multicultural Cinema Club. Films are screened before a live audience and adjudicated by three industry professionals. Judges provide live feedback, and points are awarded based on audience and judge voting. Filmmakers whose films are selected for inclusion receive $50 IMAA screening fees. Top-scoring films get renewed for the next event and win prizes. The notion is to stimulate continued and sustained creativity by setting deadlines and commanding repeat performances from film makers. The Multicultural Cinema Club provides a free venue for screening (the Queen Street Commons Cafe), but I pay screening fees, the cafe employee, and related costs out of my pocket. It costs me about $500 per event; I've done two events so far, and have a third planned for May 26, 2012. I intend to keep investing my own money in this project because I believe in it. In the three years I ran a similar program in Edmonton I saw tremendous improvement in the quality of submissions, but even more exciting was how film makers met each other and started working together. Several of them now work professionally; one works for Kenny Hotz (Kenny vs. Spenny). After I get a few years under my belt, I'm certain that the funding I intend to seek from all three levels of government will come through to support this very worthwhile project. But until then, every little bit helps . . .

Zürich (Inactive) – Relaunch LAMM

2012-05-11T00:00:00Z

Die "Liga der aussergewöhnlichen Montagsmailer - LAMM" ist ein von Studenten gegründeter Verein, der mithilfe eines Blogs vernünftiges, kritisches Denken fördert. LAMM schreibt scheinbar naive Fragemails an Unternehmen, Verbände und städtische Behörden und publiziert die meist entlarvenden Antworten auf dem LAMM-Blog. Mit diesem Frage- und Antwortespiel machen wir Unternehmen einerseits darauf aufmerksam, dass Konsumenten ihr Tun beobachten. Andererseits lernen unsere Leser aus der simplen Tatsache, dass sich die Firmen jeder noch so naiven Frage annehmen, dass sie selbst als Einzelne eine Stimme haben, die es zu gebrauchen gilt. Zu den Erfolgen von LAMM gehören u.a.: *der KVA Zürich das Eingeständnis abgerungen zu haben, den aus der Verbrennung von Abfall erzeugten Strom doch nicht als CO2-frei bezeichnen zu dürfen. *Mails und entlarvende Antworten von Migros, Coop, McDonalds, Microsoft, Coiffeur Valentino, Chicoree, Carhartt, H&M, Nordsee, WWF, Stadt Zürich und vielen Mehr. LAMM hat in den letzten zwei Jahren die Leserschaft konstant gesteigert. Doch seit Beginn unseres Schaffens publizieren wir unsere Beiträge auf einem rudimentären Wordpressblog. Auf diesem System verschwinden alte, nach wie vor relevante Beiträge in den Tiefen des Blogs, eine flexible leserfreundliche Führung ist kaum möglich. Auch neue Publikationsgefässe können nur mangelhaft umgesetzt werden.

Ann Arbor, MI – Upgrade Video Camera for Community Events

2012-05-06T00:00:00Z

I eased into (partial) retirement a couple of years ago after 40+ years of providing management consulting and integrated software for local governments and other public sector organizations while helping honcho our company through a continuous thread of spinoffs and mergers since starting there in college. Then with more free time, I began attending several meetup and networking groups in the Ann Arbor area and got acquainted with serial entrepreneur Dug Song, who has been advocating for more meetups to help build a vibrant startup community here. Since 2009, I've helped several networking groups kick it up a notch or two with event management, record keeping, and especially, video live streaming/recording/editing/posting so people can experience the events remotely or after the fact. The URL above links to dozens of videos I have produced for several groups... and these Google spreadsheets provide a more detailed summary: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AknN2a_xojvPdGVaTk82ZnhqeldicjNTY1pPelMtelE As the summary sheets show, I currently produce an average of about two hours of videos a week ... nearly all as a volunteer ... for about 10 groups on an ongoing basis (shaded lines on the Google Spreadsheets) and other groups as time allows. My specialty is live video streaming and recording, but I also do video editing where warranted, e.g. for Ignite Ann Arbor talks, etc. My goal is to continue doing community videos while picking up an occasional paid gig to pay the bills. (It's really invigorating to participate in all of the various networking groups and help mentor others.) Another volunteer activity I've been involved with since 1993 is as a citizen advocate watching over the Pall/Gelman 1,4-Dioxane Groundwater Contamination Site expanding in Scio Township and through the City of Ann Arbor. I helped set up and manage the non-profit, grass-roots, citizen group Scio Residents for Safe Water (SRSW) and helped formalize the local government involvement with the establishment of the Coalition for Action on Remediation of Dioxane (CARD). I video nearly all public meetings regarding the site, attend CARD & SRSW review sessions, analyze available cleanup data, and produce comprehensive 4-D Google Earth mashups to allow stakeholders readily see the reality of the contamination and cleanup. In summary, what I do is effectively aggregate information and share it visually to churn ideas.

Montreal, QC (Inactive) – A Smashing Time

2012-05-05T00:00:00Z

Recently, the caregivers have expressed an interest in creating a volleyball team. Unfortunately, AAFQ`s funding is limited and the registration fee is $10 per season with a $3 per person playing fee. The interested participants do not have the money to afford the registration fee or team uniforms. I have seen how the social activities at AAFQ offered thus far have truly proven beneficial and created a sense of cohesion amongst its members. As temporary workers in Montreal with limited familiarity with the language and culture, the live-in caregivers AAFQ services have a great deal of difficulty accessing resources. AAFQ provides these resources in an accessible manner. The volleyball team is a project I would like to organize for the live-in caregivers. The games will take place Saturday mornings at the Milton Park Recreation Association and run throughout the summer months. Caregivers have been identified as some of the most vulnerable and exploited categories of the workforce in Montreal. It is an added challenge for them to integrate and socialise within the community when they must live with their employers.

Boulder, CO (Inactive) – Boulder County Timelapse Film

2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

I'm finishing up my Cinematography degree at Colorado Film School in Denver. The project is a three to five minute timelapse film. It will be publicly projected on the side of buildings along Pearl Street Mall on select evenings this summer. The film will contain imagery from the Caribou Ranch ghost town to Historic Landmarks in town; our blazing sunsets to the pink sunrises on the reservoir; the Valmont power plant to the windmills south of town. People will be able to stop a moment after dinner or on their way to grab a drink and reflect on Boulder's history, beauty and future from a perspective not usually seen. I'm the right person for this project because I have a lot of experience shooting timelapses and shooting and editing films. I am also a native and love this town so much, that I want to show people Boulder through my own eyes.

Austin, TX – Children of Bagbanistan

2012-04-30T00:00:00Z

Lenell Ripley had recently wrapped up a season of mentoring with the Chula League's Little Artist Big Artist program and was left wanting more mentoring time with kids. She had recently learned that Allan Elementary was loosing their art program. "There are a handful of very underfunded schools in East Austin that could use the extra boost to the arts programs (that little nudge to spark the young creative mind). One of the last projects I made with my little artist (Karina, age 10) was a T-shirt tote. Lined with duct tape, this upcycled t-shirt that was previously hand-screened easily evolved into one of the sturdiest totes around. Karina even uses it for her books now." Lenell wrote, "I want to make more of these now that there's a bag-ban coming. I want to soften the blow for those stubborn plastic users by handing out totes made by kids in the community FOR their community!" With her $1,000 grant in hand, Lenell bought colorful duct tape, staples, silk screening supplies, thread and upcycled t-shirts. Lenell and a classroom students gathered at Allan Elementary on May 23 and made the first batch of bags. Lenell said that the children were so excited that they asked their parents to stay after school and continue making bags. She plans on going to three to four more East Side schools to give this workshop and help the communities in need. That's a lot of upcycling!

Toronto – The Love Lettering Project

2012-04-30T00:00:00Z

The Love Lettering Project is a community arts project that brings love letters to strangers, and what’s more awesome than receiving an anonymous love letter? I have been writing love poems, turning them into one-of-a-kind paper and thread collages, slipping them into vintage air mail envelopes marked ‘love’ and leaving them for strangers to find each year for the past seven. The objective of The Love Lettering Project is to transform strangers’ relationship to public spaces, through anonymous love letters to those very spaces. It offers an unexpected chance to stop and see places familiar or strange without any pressure to respond. After my biggest summer of love lettering yet in 2011, I began developing The Love Lettering Project as a community-generated project through the Toronto Public Library system during Culture Days and at the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Family Learning Centre. It was wonderful to see what people from all ages and different corners of the city love about Toronto – ravines, the CN Tower, the cherry trees in High Park and so on. The first two 2012 events will take place on May 27 and July 29 as part of Pedestrian Sundays in Kensington Market, where I will engage people in creating their own love letters by inviting them to reflect on what they love about Toronto and write them love letters. I (along with a group of volunteers) will photograph and document these community art pieces and words and post them on a love lettering website. Participants will then take their airmail-enveloped love letters out to the very places they love to leave for others to discover. The second phase of this 2012 project (slated for Culture Days) will be a cartographic installation where a group of visual artists will create and interpret different neighbourhoods of Toronto, incorporating the love letters the public has written.

New York City, NY – 596 Acres

2012-04-27T00:00:00Z

596 Acres distributes information about publicly owned vacant land in Brooklyn by publishing print maps, creating and hosting an interactive map, holding land use visioning sessions (see http://596acres.org/news/2011/12/14/request-vacant-public-land-visioning-session-your-/), and providing advocacy and support for community-based groups all over Brooklyn as they negotiate with city agencies for permission to use currently vacant and fenced-off lots for community-determined projects. Since we tested our tactics in a pilot project in June 2011, fifteen communities have begun the process of organizing for control of their physical space (http://596acres.org/lot/organizing/). Eric is the programmer and amateur cartographer behind the interactive map at 596acres.org. He works on other food and data projects in the city, including Farming Concrete (a research experiment in measuring the amount of food grown in NYC's community gardens: farmingconcrete.org) and Food Census (a community-driven attempt to map food retail stores in Brooklyn: foodcensus.org). He tries to use the internet as a way to get people together in real life. We'd like to fund a dramatic extension to our current project by adding the publicly owned vacant lots in the other four boroughs to our site. This will give the communities in the rest of the city an idea of which vacant lots are owned by the city. It will also give these communities an opportunity to take advantage of this land using the knowledge and tactics that we have developed over the past eight months in Brooklyn. The phase of the project that we are seeking funding for will help us get the data online. Once we do that, we plan on creating posters for each borough, printing them, and posting them on fenced lots as we have done in Brooklyn. From there, we will work with interested groups in each borough to help communities get control of the land near them. If the residents of the Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, and Staten Island are as receptive to this data as those in Brooklyn have been, we expect to see a number of new community gardens and community-determined spaces created as a direct result of the publication of this data. Funding from the Awesome Foundation would help us grow!

Connecticut – Main Street Storefront Murals Project

2012-04-26T00:00:00Z

I am an artist-resident of Read's ArtSpace;- the former department store located in downtown Bridgeport, CT., which was converted into affordable housing for artists in 2004. Since moving to Bridgeport in 2004, I have been active in arts-community development initiatives involving art and gardening and have created a butterfly garden on-site at Read's ArtSpace;- with materials assistance from The Bridgeport Land Trust. The Main Street Storefront Murals Project is an anti-blight public art project addressing the empty and derelict storefronts located along Main Street in downtown Bridgeport, CT;- a once thriving shopping district. Initiated in August, 2011, with funding and support from The City of Bridgeport's Office of Economic Planning and Development and The Downtown Special Services District, the first of the series of proposed storefront murals, 'Butterfly Dreaming' was completed as of September 5, 2011. The mural symbolically references the creative process and transformation of ideas into reality via the painted rendering of a woman's head, spilling open with a fluttering cloud of vividly colorful butterflies. What makes this project awesome are three things: (1. Witnessing first-hand theundeniable power of art 'in-your-face'/ in -a - public -place'; especially in a dark, dingy and blighted urban landscape; (2. This mural has generated a community dialog about creating a city-wide mural arts program and has sparked discussion about developing an after-school arts program for middle-school-high school students involving mural painting internships for 2012-2013;- (3. Me(!);- This project has proved to me that my vision and talent is appreciated, needed and supported by the community I live in and that my voice IS being heard! I feel a sense of mission or 'calling' about this project and feel gratified and encouraged to continue with my project-plan by dint of the support and encouragement I have already received by the local community.

Pittsburgh, PA – The Exquisite Machine

2012-04-26T00:00:00Z

I teach creative writing to high school students. I've been at it for about 4 1/2 years, and I love it. My favorite part of this job is coming up prompts to jumpstart creativity. This is a prompt for the city of Pittsburgh. My idea is this: The Story Machine. I'd like to set up a sentence station (or stations) somewhere in Pittsburgh that will involve a typewriter and a "machine." Participants will type the first line of a brand-new story or poem - just the first line, anything that comes to mind! - followed by their basic information. All of this will go into the "machine" which will do the rest of the work! Their completed story or poem will be mailed back to their home address in just a few weeks. The "machine" will actually be a craftily disguised box. Once enough first sentences are gathered, a series of writing parties will take place -- this is how the machine actually works. These will be open to whoever would like to attend - kids and adults alike - who will take the submitted sentences or lines and use them as writing prompts to create short-short stories or poems, which will then be sent back to the original writers for their enjoyment. Why this idea is awesome: - It will work! Typewriters are irresistible, even to those who gave up writing as a pleasure long ago. I hope to get the public engaged in a creative process, people who would probably not otherwise sit down and write for fun. - Pittsburgh is home to tons of writers and artists… as well as all those people who would be artists and writers if given a little push. The writing parties will give people both a reason to write and a prompt to build on. I am particularly interested in getting high school students (not just my own) involved. - Receiving mail from an actual person is such a great feeling! It's almost thrilling, in a weird way. I'd love to spread that feeling around a bit. - Community engagement! Anyone will be able to contribute sentences, and writing parties will ideally be held at a few different locations around the city (coffee shops, public spaces, maybe a museum or university). I would also love to save a copy of all the stories and poems generated through this project to compile into a website or a physical book. I run a small press (batcatpress.com) with my students who would certainly be up to such a task! Thanks for considering this!!

Grand Rapids, MI (Inactive) – Hand in Hand With Art

2012-04-26T00:00:00Z

I am a teacher for the Catholic Secondary Schools in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As the service learning coordinator (HOPE Coordinator) at the school, I am always looking for meaningful and substantive opportunities for my students to give back to the community through projects and experiences that both help the community, but also teach my students about leadership. One of my favorite collaborations each year is our work with Artists Creating Together “ACT” (formerly known as Very Special Arts). ACT is a non-profit agency that provides arts experiences to people with disabilities. For many of my students, our work with ACT is their first experience working alongside people with disabilities. They are so enriched by this exposure to our broader community. But our involvement goes further. In this project, my students are designing a large-scale activity area for ACT’s annual Festival Day on May 4. During the day, my students will work with over 1,000 children with disabilities from Kent ISD and together will create a variety of arts & textural experiences. Already, the student leadership team is researching ideas for projects during the day. The leadership team is designing projects that are accessible to children of all abilities & ages- from children who are blind who create by sound & touch to children with development disabilities or emotional impairments who use art as their language for communication. We will recruit over 100 volunteers from the Catholic Secondary Schools to run the activity area for the day. Today, we are requesting a grant of $1,000 to help pay for supplies & materials. With this money, my students can be creative & innovative in this project. For example, in a texture activity area, children can touch and create using a variety of creative materials: fabrics, beans, textured papers & metals. Logistics: The leadership team started meeting in January to begin planning and researching project ideas that are fun, creative, appropriate for all children. In April, we will begin ordering supplies (everything from paint to pasta noodles!) Students who are interested in volunteering for the day will also begin to sign-up, and I will take care of the administrative red tape like permission slips. Set-up will start after school on May 3. Festival Day officially begins at 9:00 am and ends at 1:30 pm. At the conclusion of the day, students will clean-up and reorganize any remaining supplies for future use by ACT.

Halifax, NS (Inactive) – Parking Ticket Paid!

2012-04-26T00:00:00Z

Me Hi! My name is Amber Phillips! I live in PEI but I am pitching an AWESOME idea to give back to Halifax. I consider myself to be the creative type and my New Years Resolution for 2012 was to give back and participate in and promote random acts of kindness. Background Two years ago April 6, our family had an unimaginable tragedy. My mom had to be airlifted from Charlottetown to the QEII in Halifax after a tragic accident. The amazing doctors at the QEII saved her life. We spent 2 weeks in the ICU, 2 weeks in Intermediate ICU and 2 weeks on Ortho floor before being transferred back to PEI. My brother and I moved to Halifax for a month. We spent 10 to 12 hours a day at the QEII by our Mom's side. We were lucky enough to have the support of our community back on PEI and received donations to help with our living and travel expenses. One of the biggest things that stood out for me was the price of parking at the hospital. $2.50 an hour I believe. When people are their most vunerable, tramautic events have happened to them, your brain is on autopilot, you spend hours holding the hand of someone in the ICU, you have to dig deep into your pockets and pay to park. I want to help others out with a great random act of kindness. I can't present my pitch in person (live in PEI) if I am selected for a finalist but I can send a video or SKYPE a pitch to the committee! I love the Awesome foundation!

Calgary, AB (Inactive) – The Calgary Cookie Chase

2012-04-26T00:00:00Z

Imagine it is a Saturday morning. You're at your favourite trendy coffee shop in Marda Loop (with a friend) discussing your investments and stock portfolio. Out of the corner of your eye, you notice two giant cookies running down the street as fast as they can. Following them is a giant Cookie Monster trying to eat those cookies. And following all of this is a camera crew. Now imagine that on YouTube done by four 15 year-olds. Yeah. - This project is intended to launch a youth sketch comedy troupe. - An online video series featuring someone dressed as the Cookie Monster chasing 2 or 3 people dressed up as cookies down popular streets in Calgary (Kensington, Uptown, Marda Loop, etc). - The people dressed as cookies will be screaming in terror, crying, generally freaking out. The Cookie Monster will be yelling for cookies and doing whatever it takes for him to reach the cookies. They will make their way through the neighbourhood, going by landmarks and businesses in Calgary. - With these videos potentially being viral, it will show the rest of the world how creatively awesome Calgary is, and the fun/exciting stuff that goes on here. The breakdown of funds is: - Cookie Monster full costume suit: ~ $200 - Cookie costumes: ~ $400 - $600 - Rest of the funds (plus more) will be used for renting video production equipment. Follow this project on Twitter (@cookiechase_yyc), Facebook (facebook.com/CalgaryCookieChase) and at calgarycookiechase.ca.

Boston, MA (Inactive) – Mobile Farm Stand for Boston

2012-04-25T00:00:00Z

If people can’t get to fresh food, we want to bring it to them! Think Transformers-meets-food cart mashup with a modern design pedigree, and you’re starting to get an idea where we’re headed. BRACE is designing a mobile farm stand to reach underserved communities in Boston, and we don’t want to brag, but trust us, people are going to be excited when they see it. We’re talking about chasing-the-farm-stand-like-it’s-the-ice-cream-truck excited. You should see our sketchbook: it’s brimming over with cool ideas from a kinetically powered monowheel to a stand that pops up from a camping trailer. Sustainability and social justice are at the core of our design ethos, but after all, who’s going to use it if it’s not fun? BRACE: Building Research + Architecture + Community Exchange is a non-profit community design organization founded in 2010 by Boston architects Hansy Better and Anthony Piermarini. We have some of Boston and Providence’s freshest designers (and one super-fresh structural engineer) behind the project to make it edgy, instantly memorable, and feasible. BRACE was founded with the goal of realizing radical public spaces through a practice that unites different design fields and community members. With the help of the Awesome Foundation, we want to bring fresh fruit and veggies to those who need them most, and better still: we’re ready to do it in style.

Boston, MA (Inactive) – 'Knowing the Trees of Cambridge' Tour Guide

2012-04-25T00:00:00Z

For the past 2 years, we have been working with other tree-loving community members to get trees labeled around the Cambridge Main Library (Joan Lorentz park). With help from the city arborist, these labels (with scannable bar-code for further information) are finally going up in the next month. The City is so impressed with this initiative, they are considering designating the area as the Cambridge Arboretum. We have created a map and self-guided tour of these 26 trees. The purpose of this project is to raise awareness of the vital role of urban trees by helping people who pass them every day get to know them, somewhat like neighbors or people at a party with name-tags. Because of the library and Cambridge High School which share the property, this area gets a lot of foot traffic. Though simple, this project is also profound: trees are vital contributors to the health of the city, but easy to ignore. Having a guide available at the library will enable many community members to learn a little more and be a source of inspiration to residents of all ages. We are the right people to do this task because we are self-motivated, have already invested many, many hours in this project over a couple of years, show clear progress in enlisting the City's help, but prefer to broaden the base of support beyond the city's funding.

Detroit, MI (Inactive) – Strong&Beautiful

2012-04-25T00:00:00Z

Strong&Beautiful is a teen girls support group that meets every Friday at the Conner Capuchin Soup Kitchen. There are 7 girls ages 11-17 involved and 2 adult coordinators, Clara Hardie & Parina Davis-Usher. Although it's members change, "Girls Group" has existed for 9 years within the Rosa Parks Youth Program at the soup kitchen. Strong&Beautiful girls are in the process of gathering interviews from the soup kitchen community about their experiences with violence as well as their ideas for solutions. We may also create a series of screen-printed posters featuring the various ideas we have gathered for stoping violence in Detroit through the interviews. The girls are currently developing a workshop that will: 1) get youth to think about their concepts of violence through facilitated group discussion 2) watch our film of interviews 3) learn to use flip cams to interview each other, gathering more solutions to the problem of violence in Detroit. 4) We would also like to give the participating group some of our posters that offer alternatives to violence. Strong&Beautiful will prioritize sharing our workshop and posters with other youth organizations and schools in Detroit as well as with our own soup kitchen community. After that, we will consider sharing the workshop and posters with adult organizations as well, depending on our capacity. In addition to sharing the film through our workshops, the girls would like to post our film on youtube, our facebook page and other internet-based DIY media-sources. We will use twitter and texting to spread the word about our film. Strong&Beautiful will wheat paste and staple our posters around the soup kitchen community in addition to giving them as gifts to those who participate in our workshops.

San Francisco, CA – Come Out and Play San Francisco

2012-04-24T00:00:00Z

Come Out and Play (COaP) is a completely free, annual games festival in San Francisco that emphasizes active play in city streets, parks, and other public spaces. Our mission is to provide a forum for new types of games and play, and to bring together a public eager to rediscover their neighborhoods with designers interested in producing innovative games and experiences. While COaP started in New York in 2005, COaP San Francisco is still relatively new, and we're hoping to make 2012 the first year we are able to offer stipends to game designers for their work. We already have a fantastic community partner in SOMArts, who will be hosting our festival and exhibition for an entire month as a part of their Curatorial Commons program. We have big plans, which include: -Call for Submissions-We will encourage independent street game designers to apply, and hope to offer stipends of $200-$500. -An attendance goal of 5,000 for the month (we had 2,500 over a week in 2011). -Field Games Weekend–For one weekend, COaP will take over Victoria Manalo Draves Park in SOMA to showcase an array of new playground games. -Game Design for Kids Workshop–COaP game designers will host a workshop for kids under 11 to design their own playground games, with the best design given a public debut at the Field Games Weekend. -Pick Up and Go Games–These no-host games can be played at any time throughout the festival, and will begin at the SOMArts exhibition hall. Confirmed games include Wanted!, a cowgirl-themed scavenger hunt, and Ran Some, Ransom, a crime-solving game involving clues hidden throughout the neighborhood. -Street Game Events–In addition to Field and Pick Up and Go games, COaP will also present numerous hosted street games that take place throughout the city. These will include Journey to the End of the Night, a favorite from 2011; Jericho, a live-action spy game using Nerf guns; and Undercover Capture the Flag, in which a game of capture the flag is held in public spaces, without the knowledge of passers-by. -Exhibition Games–Our indoor exhibition games will include the centerpiece Sixteen Tons, a physical game in which participants attempt to move large game pieces to the matching spaces on the life-size game board. -Game Design Lab with ZERO1–COaP is partnering with the San Jose-based arts and technology festival ZERO1 to host a game design lab. The best design integrating real-world play and technology features will win a place in both ZERO1 and COaP festival.

Melbourne (Inactive) – Poo Power!

2012-04-23T00:00:00Z

*Me?* Some call me the "ideas man". The last few years I've been working in the vocational education sector in Melbourne, lately in the area of sustainability and carbon management. In 2008 when I was working at William Angliss Institute in the CBD, I was awarded the annual Innovation Award for an online tool I developed for international students which carried a prize of $2500. I used the money to go back to university and put towards a Graduate Certificate in Sustainability at Swinburne University (coincidentally where I now work). However, in 2010 I was diagnosed with a rare cancer - tibial chondrosarcoma - when I resigned from my full-time job and my life appeared to fall apart quite quickly. In my final semester in completing my qualification the assessment required to be applied to a workplace context. As I wasn't working at the time, I was provided to work on a topic that I was interested in. As the owner of two boxers (Sally and Diesel) I have been perplexed by the the dog owner population who scoop their dogs' poo in plastic bags to be sent to landfill. Surely, there must be a better way? And so the dog poo power project was born! (Update: I'm 18 months in the clear!) *The Project?* (aka "Closing the Poop Loop") Following in the footsteps of community-owned energy projects such as the Hepburn Wind Farm, the central idea of the project is around distributed energy and energy diversity. Australia has one of the highest incidences of pet ownership in the world with latest data (from 2006) showing that 63% of the 7.5 million households own a pet. As the dog population in Australia continues to grow, so will the issue of dog ‘waste’ disposal in a waste management system of increasing urbanisation, a limited amount of suitable park spaces and shrinking landfill sites. On average, a dog produces 0.34 kilograms (kg) of feces per day. Consequently, there is approximately 1, 350.48 tonnes (t) of dog waste to be disposed of every day in Australia; 492, 925 tonnes (t) per year. Therefore the aim is to build an anaerobic methane digester to process the dog waste (and potentially other appropriate wastes) to create a biogas that can serve as renewable energy source (end use yet to be determined). *How I'l pull it off* I've pitched the idea to the Yarra Energy Foundation (www.yef.org.au) who are keen to support me through the process. I've also recruited the assistance of Liam Fennessy (RMIT Industrial Design) and his technical expertise.

Ottawa – The Capital Reading Garden

2012-04-23T00:00:00Z

April’s Awesome grant goes to Mary Beth Baker and her proposal for the Capital Reading Garden. Mary Beth is a librarian here in Ottawa and along with organizing numerous events, helped found the great initiative Open Data Ottawa. The Capital Reading Garden has been in the works since the spring of 2009, when she traveled to New York City and happened upon the Reading Room at Bryant Park, an extremely successful open-air library and park that also hosts literary events. Coming home to Ottawa from New York, she began research on different spaces in Ottawa to use as a public reading spot as part of a course on design and user behaviour. She was specifically curious about spaces that had existing multipurpose usage and wanted to encourage something awesome beyond normal playing, walking, and biking. She will use the funds to run the pop-up reading garden for five weekends starting in May and ending in September and hopes to run the project from May 2012 until September 2015. The space will be available to visitors Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. weather permitting. Funds will also go towards furniture; stackable chairs, tables, umbrellas, and outdoor signage. We are excited to see Mary Beth’s progress on this and hope to soon partake in literary pleasures in fun outdoor spaces.

Melbourne (Inactive) – httpmote

2012-04-23T00:00:00Z

I'm a software developer and I have about 100 new ideas a week. I hate remote controls, in particular I hate remote controls for garage doors both at home at work. At home I never seem to have the remote control in my car - at work the draconian building managers limit how many people can have a remote. I want to build a system where I can use my mobile phone to buzz open a garage door, and share that buzzer with people I want to. At home I get Jims Mowing to come and mow my lawn. I would love to be able to "share" my remote control with him via text message (with a URL) with a time limit so that he could get into my backyard on Tuesday morning between 9am and 12am. At work, it would be great to have an allocation of "two spaces" and give multiple remotes to various team members and have the system tell me when there are no car spaces left. I'm the right person to build this because I know how to build web applications and I have enough basic skills to produce a working prototype of the hardware interface. I started working on this idea last night. I repaired an old busted remote control and then figured out what circuit I need to short to trigger the garage door to open. I'm going to hotwire the remote with an Arduino/Netduino and then connect with a home PC via USB. That will then listen via a socket to a message coming in over the web which is connected to a mobile web-site/mobile app.

Chicago, IL – Learnapalooza Chicago

2012-04-21T00:00:00Z

If I had realized how much time and effort I would put into a festival that offers free learning to the community (a bunch of strangers) I might have thought twice about it, but I know my co-chair, Brian would still have excitedly jumped on board. In 2010, five strangers dedicated a lot of time and effort to make a brand new summer event, Learnapalooza, a free learning festival. We had no idea what we were doing, or what would happen but with the support (read donations) of friends and family and a lot of trial and error, we were able to make something big happen. That first year 350 strangers showed at 17 places across Wicker Park and between them learned 77 new things all day! Now we want to help others across the city bring this awesome experience to their neighborhood. This is where you, Awesome Foundation, come in. Let’s get into the details; Learnapalooza invites amateur and professional teachers businesses and local organizations to host free workshops on a topic of their choosing. Anyone who has something to share – and basically we all do – can offer a class during the day-long festival. These classes take place in spaces all around a neighborhood, soaking the community in exciting learning. We take care of all of the class logistics. All we ask from our teachers is to plan and teach a fun, free class. The festival brings neighbors together in comfortable situations, and brings them in the doors of local businesses and organizations. Our success comes in many quotes: “I’ve always wanted to try this,” “I didn’t know this place existed,” “We met at Learnapalooza.” Now that we know what we are doing (2 years in Wicker Park and over a 1,000 attendees later), it is time for us to share the awesomeness, to take our torch and light the torch of other neighborhoods who can do just as good of a job (or even better) than us. Our goal is to host Learnapalooza in three neighborhoods this year, and the Awesome grant is pivotal to making that happen. How are we going to make it happen? We are going to find neighborhood leads, people who light up at the idea of Learnapalooza, and immediately say, "I want to do that", to manage the project in their community while we provide the support, the know-how, and the boundless enthusiasm. Support will be in the form of best practices, help with teacher, volunteer and marketing outreach, support with the registration system, and the model set by our continuing Flagship festival in Wicker Park.

Kingston – 26 Shorts

2012-04-19T00:00:00Z

26shorts is a project to help creative people in Kingston make films. Starting in late summer 2012, a team of Kingston artists will spend 6 months releasing one short film a week for 26 weeks. All of the films will be shot in and around Kingston during the 6 month period of the project, using Kingston film makers, actors, musicians and crew. Some of the films will be simple and quick to create, some will be ambitious and produced over several months. Some will be spur-of-the-moment individual projects, some of them meticulously planned collaborations. Every week, one new film will be released online. The 26shorts project gets its inspiration from a popular type of photographic study called a "365 project", during which photographers commit to producing one photo a day that is outside their normal type of work. The focus of a 365 project isn't necessarily to produce outstanding new portfolio pieces every day, but to challenge the photographer to take risks and to expand her body of work. We've also been inspired by the idea of a "48 hour film festival" where random teams of film-makers collaborate to write, shoot, edit and submit a narrative film for judging in just two days. 26shorts retains that focus on networking and spontaneity but adds more time for for more ambitious projects, the opportunity to participate in more than one film, and the creation of a network of artists that can grow over time. The project will encourage artists to benefit from the process of making the films, always striving to achieve the best possible product and often choosing to take creative and technical risks where possible.

Montreal, QC (Inactive) – Community Songwriting on Demand

2012-04-18T00:00:00Z

For the past month I have been working on a project called Charlotte on Demand, where I have invited people to submit their song ideas in any capacity (lyrics, fragments, general ideas) and I have been using them to write a song a week and film and post a video online. You can see some results at http://facebook.com/cornfieldmusic and http://youtube.com/charlottecornfield. Now I would like to take this to a local level and invite people to submit their thoughts, ideas and lyrics inspired by the city of Montreal. This project is about the music community (all aspects of it) coming together around their city and expressing the nuances about what they love about this place and how it inspires them.